In today's communication networks there exists a plethora of different communication services. The available communication services include traditional telecommunication services such as voice services, data services, the Short Message Service (SMS) and the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). Additionally, Instant Messaging (IM) and community-based communication services (typically on the basis of the Internet Protocol, or IP) potentially involving more than two communication partners become increasingly popular. IP-based community services include for example blogging, virtual forums, and so on.
As a result of the large number of different communication services currently in use, the communication environment as a whole has become rather heterogeneous. The heterogeneous nature of the communication environment is expressed by the fact that many of the communication services, and in particular community-based communication services, are not standardized. Also, different user terminals (such as different mobile telephones) often support different sets of communication services, which means that in relation to a specific communication service two user terminals may sometimes not be compatible with each other. The heterogeneous nature of the communication environment thus prevents to a certain extent the connectivity among user terminals.
In other circumstances, the connectivity among user terminals is simply limited because a certain user may not be aware of a particular communication service supported by his or her user terminal in its current configuration, or after a quick software update or service subscription. In other words, the user may have more options of communicating via the user terminal than he or she is actually aware of.
If, for example, a user terminal supports traditional telecommunication services via a cellular communication network (e.g., according to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, or UMTS, specifications) and additionally community-based communication services (that may also be provided via a Wireless Local Area Network, or WLAN), the user may only be aware of the UMTS capabilities of his or her terminal. As a result, the user will be prevented from any communication in areas having WLAN coverage only, although the terminal may support network access via WLAN. The lack of connectivity that ensues is of particular annoyance if many of the potential communication partners of the user regularly make use of such community-based communication services. On the other hand it may be useless in many situations to notify the user about supported communication services that he or she will not be using because there are no or only a few potential communication partners.
What has been said above in relation to communication services likewise applies to certain application services. That is, a user may in many cases benefit from currently unused application services that are in principle supported by his or her terminal.